The Tragic History Of Las Vegas

According to the Climate Reality Project, there are dire things in store for Las Vegas, as it's one of the fast-warming cities in the country. And it's been happening since the 1970s. The average temperature has gone up around 2.8 degrees, periods of heat waves and drought have gotten worse, and the number of 100+ degree days are on the rise. It's estimated that if things continue in the same way they're going, by the middle of the 21st century, kids won't even be able to play outside without running the risk of heat stroke.

So what's going on here? According to The Guardian, it's a hell of our own making. Las Vegas sits in the middle of the desert, and it's essentially a giant heat sink of concrete, asphalt, and tar, all sitting in the middle of an area with extremely limited water resources. Ever walk across a hot tarmac parking lot in the middle of the summer when you can just see the heat waves coming up off the pavement, cartoon-style? That's what's happening in Vegas, on a monumental scale.

There's another problem, too. Vegas has a huge homeless population, and many people just can't afford things like air conditioning. The Guardian spoke to one couple who make their living by collecting recycling, and before they head off to the day's work, they already have to buy ice to keep in a cooler, just to get through the day. Yikes.